On 7th May Pascale Joannin is taking part in an online conference organised by the University of Vienna. Her talk will focus on "Robert Schuman's Europe from a French perspective".

At a meeting in the Italian Chamber of Deputies on 29 April, Belarusian opposition leader Svetlana Tikhanovskaya received the support of parliamentarians calling for new free elections. To follow the crisis since the rigged elections of August 2020, the Foundation offers you a chronology of events and links to European responses and initiatives.

Travel restrictions are being lifted on 3 May in France and a gradual end of the lockdown will start on 19 May. In Portugal, the state of emergency ended on 30 April, sports activities and gatherings are now allowed subject to conditions and the border with Spain has been reopened. In Poland, sports and commercial activities resumed under certain conditions and museums will reopen on 4 May. Restaurants and theatres partially reopen in Romania on 3 May. In Slovakia, the state of emergency is being extended until 28 May. To follow the development of the situation, the Foundation offers you a complete map of the sanitary measures in place and the travel conditions throughout Europe. An essential resource, regularly updated, to understand the situation

On 29 April, the Commission presented its proposals for improving the EU's legislative process. It wants to remove obstacles and red tape that slow down investment and the construction of infrastructure; simplify public consultations by introducing a "call for participation"; and introduce the "one addition, one withdrawal" principle, whereby new regulation leads to the deletion of existing regulation.

Following a preliminary investigation, the Commission found on 30 April that Apple has distorted competition in the music streaming market by abusing its dominant position with regard to the distribution of music applications via its App Store. The Commission believes that Apple's rules increase costs for competing developers and subscription prices for consumers. The investigation, which was launched in June 2020 following a complaint from Spotify, will continue.

On 3 May, the Commission suggested that all people from countries with a "good" epidemiological situation should be allowed to enter the EU for non-essential travel purposes, and that all people vaccinated with an EU- or WHO-approved vaccine should be allowed to enter. It also suggests changing the threshold related to the number of new cases of Covid-19 used to determine the list of countries from which all travel should be allowed. To counter the emergence of variants, the Commission proposes a new "emergency brake" mechanism that would involve better coordination of travel restriction decisions at EU level.

On 27 April MEPs adopted the Horizon Europe research and innovation programme for 2021-2027, which aims to secure long-term funding to tackle global challenges, including climate change, digitisation and pandemics. Already provisionally set up by the Commission as of January, the programme has a budget of €95.5 billion. An additional €1 billion secured by the Parliament is earmarked for basic research, through the European Research Council.

On 27 April, MEPs adopted the strengthening of the legal framework for civil protection. It aims to ensure better preparedness for large-scale disasters. The Commission will be able to directly acquire, under certain conditions, the necessary resources via the RescEU reserve to be able to deploy assistance more swiftly in the event of a crisis. 1.2 billion is earmarked for the mechanism for the budget period 2021-2027, to which will be added €2 billion from the Union's recovery instrument.

On 27 April, MEPs definitively adopted the 2021-2027 space programme. With a budget of €14.88 billion, the largest ever devoted to space, the programme includes all the Union's space activities and aims to ensure the continuity and modernisation of the Galileo, Copernicus and EGNOS space programmes. It aims to support new initiatives on Space Situational Awareness (SSA), including Space Surveillance and Tracking (SST), Space Weather and Near Earth Objects (NEO), and Satellite Communications (GOVSATCOM).

On 28 April, MEPs finally adopted a regulation to combat the dissemination of terrorist content online that incites, solicits or contributes to terrorist offences. Host providers will have to remove such content within one hour of receiving a removal order from the competent authority.

MEPs adopted on second reading the €7.9 billion European Defence Fund to develop joint projects in equipment and technology to strengthen the European defence industry.

In a resolution adopted on 29 April, MEPs express concern about "the possible involvement of ministers and government appointees" in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta in 2017 and call for all those involved to be brought to justice. They stress the importance of media freedom, judicial and police independence and freedom of assembly. They have called upon Malta to ensure that these European values are respected and upon the Commission to take steps to guarantee them in Malta and in the Union.

On 29 April, MEPs adopted a proposal for a European certificate, calling for the latter to remain in place for only 12 months and to facilitate freedom of movement without discrimination. They call for people in possession of the certificate not to be subject to additional travel restrictions and for unvaccinated people to have access to "universal, accessible, rapid and free" testing. Negotiations on a final text will start with the Council.

On 29 April, the Council decided to extend for one year the restrictive measures against those directly involved in the February 2021 military coup in Burma, those involved in the violence against protesters, as well as those responsible for human rights violations against the Rohingya population. The restrictive measures include an embargo on arms and surveillance equipment that could be used for internal repression, and a halt to military cooperation with the armed forces.

Russia decided on 30 April to ban the entry into its territory of 8 European personalities, including the President of the European Parliament David Sassoli and the Vice-President of the Commission Vera Jourova, in response to European sanctions against those responsible for human rights violations in Russia. In a joint statement, the three leaders of the European institutions condemned "in the strongest possible terms" this decision, which shows that Russia has chosen confrontation with the EU instead of agreeing to redress the negative trajectory of our bilateral relations. They added that the EU reserves the right to take "appropriate measures" in response. The Russian ambassador to the EU was summoned on 3 May to inform him of this condemnation of a "lack of any legal justification".

The Council called on 29 April for European states to strengthen data protection measures and respect the privacy of children. The Committee of Ministers calls on European States not to publish data concerning the health and education of children. It wants to protect children from overexposure that can lead to discrimination, harassment and sexual abuse.

In a report published on 29 April, the Council of Europe's Group for Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (GRETA), calls on the Bulgarian authorities to improve victims' access to justice and compensation. The report acknowledges that progress has been made, but stresses that the authorities should improve victims' access to information about their rights and the services available to them, and calls for them to be systematically assigned specialised lawyers.

On 30 April, the Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Marija Pejcinovic Buric, published her proposals for improving social rights in Europe and strengthening the European Social Charter. The proposals focus on three areas: political support for improving the Council of Europe's contribution to the implementation of social rights; improvements to the procedures established under the European Social Charter; and forward-looking substantive and procedural developments.

GDP fell by 0.4% in the EU and by 0.6% in the euro area in the first quarter of 2021, Eurostat reported on 30 April. The year-on-year growth rates were negative for all countries except France (+1.5%) and Lithuania (+1%). The countries with the largest declines were Portugal (-3.3%), Latvia (-2.6%) and Germany (-1.7%).

In a report published on 29 April, the European External Action Service describes the misinformation operations carried out in particular by Russia and China regarding vaccines. The manipulation of information is aimed at undermining confidence in the health policies of EU countries and in the European Medicines Agency. In the Balkans and the EU's eastern neighbourhood, they attempt to improve the image of Russia and China at the expense of Europe and to promote vaccines produced by these two countries.

Until 15 September, the Centrale Montemartini Museum in Rome is presenting "The Colours of the Romans", an exhibition of ancient Roman mosaics from the Capitoline collections, as well as frescoes and sculptures. The exhibition covers the period from the 1st century BC to the 4th century AD.

The National Library of Spain is showcasing its collection of illuminated manuscripts from the time of Charlemagne to that of Francis I in an exhibition open until 5 September. 70 manuscripts reflect the developments in the art of miniature painting in the Middle Ages, and reconstruct the daily life and beliefs of European society.

The Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna is hosting an exhibition dedicated to the women artists who contributed to the creation of the Wiener Werkstätte, an artists' association founded in 1903 with the aim of independently producing decorative objects and textiles in the service of modernity, crafts and the major arts. Ninety women artists who took part are represented in this exhibition, through different designs: fabrics, ceramics, or murals.

On 8 May, the Sinfonia Iuventus orchestra will broadcast a concert dedicated to the Polish composer and pianist Zygmunt Stojowski from the Polish radio studio, conducted by Antoni Wit, with pianist Krzysztof Ksiązek.

Until 23 May, Brighton Festival is presenting over 90 music, theatre and film events, online and in vivo in the city's parks, museums and concert halls.

On the occasion of Zubin Mehta's 85th birthday, the Staatskapelle Berlin and Daniel Barenboim offer an exceptional concert with works by Beethoven and Schubert. To be discovered on Arte concert until 29 May.

The Museum of the Markets of Trajan in Rome is hosting an exhibition on the relationship between Napoleon, the ancient world and Rome until 30 May. The exhibition, which reopened on 26 April, shows how Napoleon drew inspiration from imperial Rome to define his political strategy.

To mark the 200th anniversary of the death of Napoleon I, Radio Classique is offering a collection of twenty podcasts by Franck Ferrand devoted to the emperor's history.